Fossicking around in Walthamstow

Here endeth another delightful day in London for half-term. I intend to go to sleep slightly earlier tonight, and not spend hours fiddling around with my cloud storage...

This morning we visited Walthamstow village (that's the old part) where the Vestry house museum is situated in a former workhouse and police station complete with an enclosed prison cell for drunken miscreants. It is now a delightful museum of local social history. These tinplate toys were made by the Brimtoy company which was based in Walthamstow between 1924 and 1965. The toys were sold in outlets such as Woolworth's, and were priced competitively, enabling some children to get their first taste of metal toys. The company also did well out of World War II, with their "Buy British" slogan, which I remember lingering until at least 1980.

After this delightful museum stop, we visited the William Morris galleries, plus restaurant. Then I headed off to Stratford intending to visit some beauty spots of Newham and Tower Hamlets ( joke!) where I had once lived, and to make meaningful social commentary about the Olympics and regeneration. But it was cold, and I was cold, and I ended up mooching around a couple of shops in the unregenerated part of the town, before heading back to Ann's. I was happy, though, even in rain, as I am when on holiday, and there's no time limit.

Later, I met my lovely niece, Christina, who has just finished making this, which you may have seen mentioned by her mother TML. It features our mother's house in the opening scenes, and three of my nieces: Flora, Immy, and Christina herself ( no other model was available, she swore). We had a takeaway back at her student accommodation near Old Street, and thought about meeting again after her final year degree show, which opens in 3 weeks' time. It was such a pleasure to catch up with her after more than a year, but all too soon it was time for me to head off back to Walthamstow, and her to get back to college work at stupid o'clock.